Jorge Richardson’s journey towards making a meaningful impact began during his internship at the World Bank, where he worked on global initiatives to enhance access to basic necessities.
This pivotal experience led him to a Buddhist monastery in Nepal, where he collaborated with a Spanish entrepreneur on a tech-driven project that enabled users to find nearby sources of free drinking water through their phones.
This partnership eventually resulted in a feature allowing iPhone users to ask Siri for nearby water fountains, with support from the system Richardson had contributed to building.
Upon graduating from college, Richardson had a revelation: he didn’t want to just analyze companies—he wanted to create them.
“Right after I graduated college, I decided I didn’t want to be analyzing companies – I wanted to be building them,” Richardson reflected.
He realized that the challenge extended beyond merely helping people locate water refill stations.
The real task, he noted, was to make the refilling process so convenient, reliable, and appealing that individuals would opt for it over purchasing bottled water.
This mission is especially critical given the alarming statistics on plastic waste.
According to Our World in Data, the global economy produces about 350 million tons of plastic waste annually, with a troubling 8 to 14 million metric tons ending up in our oceans each year.
Plastic bottles rank among the top five pollutants in marine environments.
Richardson explained, “Humans gravitate toward what’s easy, convenient, and cheap. So if it’s easier to walk into a store and buy a plastic bottle, most people will do that.”
He believes that high-quality, trustworthy, and free refill stations placed strategically in urban settings could change consumer behavior.
At that same time, Cristina Gnecco was carving her path. Growing up in a household led by Colombian immigrants, she was surrounded by discussions of technology and entrepreneurship.
Her experiences traveling to Colombia fueled her awareness of disparities between the two countries, particularly concerning environmental issues.
Gnecco pursued a degree in sustainable development at NYU and later worked with Global Citizen, tackling international advocacy campaigns.
Her journey led her to Cannes Lions, where she encountered Richardson and was immediately inspired by his ambitious vision to provide free drinking water across the U.S.
After their initial meeting, the two decided to co-found HOPE Hydration, with Gnecco serving as COO and Richardson as CEO, alongside their third co-founder, David Tigue, head of engineering.
They aimed to revolutionize access to clean water through smart refill stations that utilize digital advertising as a funding source.
The duo questioned why such a solution didn’t already exist, identifying trust and financial viability as significant barriers to public water infrastructure.
“We asked ourselves, why doesn’t this already exist? And it came down to two things: one, people don’t trust public drinking water infrastructure, and two, there’s little to no money in the space,” Richardson shared.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, HOPE Hydration launched in 2020, with one Miami city mayor exhibiting immediate interest in their concept.
Richardson recalled, “In the beginning, I must’ve sent a thousand cold emails and tweets, but within 15 minutes of DMing Mayor Suarez on Twitter, he sent me his personal number and told me to text him.”
Their meeting over a traditional Cuban coffee, known as cafecito, solidified Miami as the heart of their endeavor.
Driven by their vision, the team constructed the original Hydration Station in just 60 days, utilizing a small team of three.
“As of 2021, we had the chance to redesign it for a major installation, and that version took seven months,” Tigue explained, detailing the blend of design, plumbing, electrical work, and coding efforts that led to their first airport-ready unit.
HOPE Hydration stations boast cellular connectivity and onboard sensors that monitor usage and foot traffic, providing essential data for advertising partners while ensuring proactive maintenance through real-time water monitoring.
For brands, media buy opportunities range from modest $10 campaigns to multi-million-dollar endeavors, enabling companies to invest wisely in their advertising strategies.
“The best part of our model is that brands already have media budgets,” Richardson stated. “We’re not asking them to spend more, we’re just giving them a better option.”
With the success of their model, HOPE Hydration has garnered attention through high-profile installations in Miami, including partnerships with Nike South Beach, Ultra Music Festival 2024, and major Formula 1 events.
The stations have collectively refilled over 1.8 million bottles, illustrating the community’s increasing reliance on accessible water refilling solutions.
Looking toward the future, the team plans to expand HOPE Hydration beyond individual events, targeting high-foot-traffic locations, including airports, to establish a more robust infrastructure.
“We want to be a force driving innovative, cutting-edge water infrastructure solutions worldwide,” Richardson stated, underscoring their commitment to transforming the global landscape of drinking water availability.
Ultimately, their aspiration is to make free drinking water accessible on every street corner, creating a more sustainable and conscientious future for all.
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